Sully's Spirituality
by Clare bear 48
Summary: Continueing Sully's Journey with what influenced him in his journey


I do not own the characters of Dr Quinn others do.

**This part is of Sully's spirituality he carried this with him. He sort to understand his journey with his mentor Cloud Dancing whom he learnt from and listened too. Through gentle his guidance.**

Sully participated in the Cheyenne ceremonies including smudging, Sweat Lodges, and Medicine Wheel .They would smoke the pipe on special occasions. From the moment he arrived to live with his Cheyenne family. His brother Cloud Dancing took his hand and guided Sully in his steps to comprehend the tribe's connection to Great Spirit. Gifting spirit with tobacco before any ritual began. Thanking Great Spirit always as they needed both Spirit and Mother Earth, to look kindly on them for their actual being, nothing was ever taken for granted. Generations before had laid this connection and understanding of Spirit and Mother Earth.

Sully's Ma had taught him about God and how it was in the old country. Her own faith was sorely tested at the deaths of her husband and young son. Finely it all became too unbearable. She took her own earthly spirit. At that time any formal religious learning ceased. Sully's belief was completely shattered with the deaths of first his entire family and lay completely in tatters with Abigail and baby Hannah's passing.

Sully living with his adopted family the Cheyenne witnessed how their strong spiritual beliefs connected them to all nature. Their bond for all living things and their connection to the land was so solid. Thanking the Creator for all things even the simplest little things, made sense to him as he lived it, saw it, and was experiencing it daily. This sat well with him and he was discovering ideas and was beginning to learn to feel again. It filled a need in him to restore his faith and give him a purpose to live. He believed he was with these people for some higher reason. There was no question about that.

Sully experienced it personally and more deeply than ever before much later after Cloud Dancing had used a healing ceremony when Dr Mike was desperately ill with influenza.

Sully asked Cloud Dancing "Will she live?"

The reply was "She fights hard"

Not the answer Sully wanted and he urgently asked again "Will she live?"

Cloud Dancing put it to him "that depends on** you**"

Sully understood it was "his will" that Michaela would live. His spirit would "need" for her to survive. These new feelings he was discovering in him of love, needing her, wanting her would be the only thing that would help Michaela to stay alive. He had to "will" her to survive give her all of his strength and love from deep within his heart and soul. It was his determination and decision only to make. He would want to begin to weave a thread between their souls. Sully found the whole experience was profound. He'd found his soul mate. The piece of him he felt was absent, the half of his missing self. He'd always felt incomplete till he began to feel Michaela's connection to him.

Sully grew to understand the true meaning of tribe, family then self in that order. He experienced the vision of spirit as the Indians did. Sully would sit on Mother Earth, with his hands open to the universe, in quiet meditation, quietening all his thoughts. Sully stilling himself to nature brought spirit to him. This was a powerful and deep feeling. Nothing he'd experienced before could measure up to this knowledge, and the feeling of connection. Much later he prayed for little Brian after his near tragic fall from the old oak tree in this manner. Brian had tried to fly like the eagle, he had sustained a severe head trauma.

Cloud Dancing much later explained to him about dreams and that they also held meaning and messages for the receiver. Connecting his dreams he was having to messages of the past, the present, and to the future. When he was dreaming of Boston and realizing he loved Dr Mike. He was so afraid of losing her. He continued the journey to understand that all things are woven in this web of life. They are all one. He eventually began to interpret his dreams.

The Indians, over a long time, had become one with all things. That man was of the two leg variety but also there were the four legs that included the deer and buffalo. Winged one were all the birds that fly and the swimmers all things that dwelled in the water. They were their brothers in a web of all life connected with each other and spirit. Hurt or destroy one everything became unbalanced. Sully was learning all these lessons living with his Indian family on a daily basis.

The connection with all things became an extremely powerful experience. Sully understood and developed an appreciation that their belief was important to their survival. His family survived all that nature dealt them floods, drought and there was always a reason just look for the signs and read them. Sully looked at nature differently beginning to see what the white man was doing to the earth would eventually impacted on all creatures on earth especially man himself. Look what the whites were doing to his beloved family. The Indians respected their lives and it's connection to all things like a web of the spider. Damage the web and the impact impacted on everything. Their wisdom was profound. Sully in the future used his learnt knowledge in his choices of work and actions. Sully remaining true to his beliefs and understanding of nature.

He participated in a number of Vision Quests and was given his medicine bag for protection. This he wore at all times with his beads. He had to complete a task before entering on this quest. The task was decided by his brother. His visions of life's experiences were always powerful. His understanding allowed him to face his many fears. Even though he had one vision of being with a woman and having a family he had trouble believing he would ever achieve this dream. Sully became reconciled that he would walk the remainder of his days on earth alone. He had been given the opportunity to be with a woman he loved and to have a child but now they were gone. He did not expect to be given another chance that did not happen to a man like him. A person thought of as a miss fit by the entire community. To even contemplate being loved by another woman was not a possibility. He'd abandoned any notion of white man's god. He no longer blamed god but became more comfortable with his new knowledge of Mother Earth and Great Spirit, the four directions, as he discussed with his brother Cloud Dancing. Cloud Dancing put into simple words the meanings of dreams and visions he experienced. This man was a true brother and Sully appreciated their deep bond and understanding, as did Cloud Dancing. Much, much later Cloud Dancing and Sully assisted Mathew when he wanted to be recognised as a man on his own quest.

He would be able to feel spirit being seated quietly. He began to appreciate the beliefs of his brother. He was able to still himself and feel spirit communicating with his brother even when they were not together. Sully was in awe of what he was experiencing with Cloud Dancing. He was able to see in nature the messages for him. His new understanding, that even all the animals were bearers of messages. This was brought suddenly home when he found an orphan wolf pup he had to care for. The little creature came to him. As Cloud Dancing explained the pup chose him they'd help each other. This animal that most people shied away from became his constant companion, just another thing that the town's folk did not understand. He called the pup Wolf. Their existence was complete they needed each other. In the future when General Custer caused trouble with the Cheyenne Sully used this technique on many occasions. His concern for his brother was immense.

On many occasions his Brother Cloud Dancing and Sully met when they thought about each other. Sully lost all doubts he had as it was so easy to locate Cloud Dancing just thinking of him and asking for guidance. Sully would find him when he wanted advice or to find if Cloud Dancing was safe. These brothers had a unique bond that had developed over many years. It began when the Indian Medicine man found Sully. They had developed an ability to just know what the other was thinking by a look.

Cloud Dancing with the help of spirit would advise Sully through his journey trying to feel free to love after he met Dr Mike. He did not feel that he would have the chance to love and be loved again. He became confused when the feelings he was feeling consumed his very being. He wanted Dr Mike's love and to love her but was afraid to let himself free to do so.

"Man is not intended to be alone man and woman are a sign of balance" Cloud Dancing would say.

Cloud Dancing much later in time left to go on a vision quest searching for answers to why his son died. Sully suffered a Migraine during this time. In a sweat lodge that Dr Mike helped build Cloud Dancing appeared. He was on a Vision Quest at the same time. He came to Sully and helped heal him and provided a vision so vivid of what Sully needed in the future path his with "Heart song". If he did not do something Michaela would go away and leave the territory. This was in answer to many doubting questions Sully had been asking spirit. Cloud Dancing had been helping Sully move forward for a long time. That was the day he knew and had asked Michaela to marry him. He knew in his heart now was the time. There was NO DOUBT this vision was profound. He had his "answer" there was no doubting this time.

In the future Sully was devastated when Mc Bribe wandered from the unspoken law of Mountain Men and abducted a child as well murdering his wife. Sully could not believe that the undeclared law of these rough mountain men had been breached. He'd violated this especially murdering his Indian wife. Sully felt sick to his stomach looking down at the woman who had stood by Mc Bride's side for many years.

Sully said "he was a man of his word".

Sully wanted to know what had caused this man to change so radically. Mc Bride, Sully assumed would have simular beliefs as he did living in the woods and with the Indians as well as having an Indian wife. Sully was struggling with his own values. He was threatened that he may have been pushed into that space at some time?

Sully said to Robert E "all the rules are gone" in a dejected voice.

Robert E replied to Sully "His rules, their ruled, but not yours you remember that" tapping Sully on the shoulder.

Sully continued to live by the code of **"Respect for the earth, respect for the water, respect for the creator, and respect for life itself". **Be a man of honour.

Thank you for reading this and any comments.


End file.
